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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr

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(dramatic music plays) . Episode 68:

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A Dagger Throne.

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As he made his way to Pattis' nondescript office
on the third floor of Merchant

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Tower, Karch tried to make sense of what he had
just heard.

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There were a lot of reasons that Larsen's plan was
awful, but the one that worried him

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the most wasn't necessarily the most catastrophic:
Orion's

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participation. He didn't trust Orion at all.

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Orion had a reputation as a bumbling, good-natured
guild master,

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one who was good at managing details but not very
smart if confronted with

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problems. Yet Karch had an inkling that there was
more there than met the

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eye.

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One reason was that Karch knew Orion had a blade,
and

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Karch was never able to find out who it was and
what he did.

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Someone bumbling like Orion wouldn't have such an
effectively hidden blade.

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It made Karch think that Orion was hiding his
resources and maneuverings

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better than anyone expected. Perhaps it wasn't
true, but the possibility

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was extremely worrisome. The other concerns were
obvious, and

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Karch couldn't even comprehend how stupid Larsen
was for thinking they would

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succeed. Imprisoning the leading families of the
Harvest Guild in the

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Flats and Lower Triangle, that was a recipe for
violence.

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As Karch returned, he had smelled the fires and
been told that the

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Ironside and Grell families were in the dungeon.

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Did Larsen not realize that those families had
influence that stretched into

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other guilds and deep into the Upper Quarter?

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He reached Pattis' office, and he knew what his
first question was going to

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be. Throwing the door open, Karch marched in, not
even bothering

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to knock or announce himself. Pattis was asleep on
his couch.

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Walking over, Karch prepared to kick the man's leg
to wake him when a

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dagger zipped past his ear and lodged in a wooden
column near his head.

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By the gods, Pattis, it's me, Karch.

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The blade had thrown his dagger from his side, and
as Karch regained his

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composure, Pattis sat up.

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If I didn't know it was you, you'd be dead.

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Then why did you throw it at all?

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Karch thought he had a good relationship with
Pattis, who was similarly

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ruthless as Karch, and also in alignment on
utilizing Larsen to get

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ahead.

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Pattis shrugged.

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Teach you some manners.

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Pattis nodded toward the chair next to his couch.

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Welcome back.

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How'd it go?

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Shaking his head, Karch walked over and sat down.

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The Outlanders attacked us. Philip and his team
are dead.

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Surprised you aren't dead, frankly. That was a
fool's errand.

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Karch generally liked Pattis' bluntness, but in
this instance, his "I

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know better than you" attitude was tiresome.

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Folding his hands in his lap with exaggerated
formality, Karch

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replied-

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Speaking of fool's errands, the Guild Master told
me to get an update from you on his delightful new
plan.

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Karch used a sarcastic tone, but was careful not
to

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out-and-out say anything negative.

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He needed to see if Pattis was as deluded as
Larsen.

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Much better than I expected, frankly.

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I scouted the Flats and Lower Triangle, and then
we removed the families that would organize a

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resistance, setting fires to distract them.

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It worked better than I thought. The sight of
their family homes burning to the ground

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thoroughly demoralized them.

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Karch stared at Pattis. He couldn't quite believe
that the Blade seemed to be

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going along with the plan.

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And we are currently relocating people to the
Wretched Quarter?

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Yes.

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How is that going?

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Pattis shrugged.

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Lots of confusion. People think it's related to
the fires.

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The Knight Protectors are staying out of the way,
so the Guild Master Knight is obviously on board.

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The Guild Master Craft hasn't said anything
either.

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Pattis stood up and walked across the room.

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Larsen has things under control. As I said, it's
going better than I expected.

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Karch watched as Pattis retrieved his dagger from
the column and returned it to

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a sheath at his waist.

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Do you have anyone watching the Upper Triangle?

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Pattis paused midway to his seat and squinted at
Karch.

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No. Why?

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Karch closed his eyes and took a breath. He could
not believe what he was hearing.

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What about the Harvest District? We're forcibly
moving out Harvest Guild members.

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Please, tell me that you have someone keeping an
eye on the Harvest District.

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Still staring at Karch, Pattis continued to his
couch.

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No.

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What are you getting at, Karch? Larsen told me to
take care of the Flats and the Lower Triangle.

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He said nothing of the Upper Triangle or the
Harvest District.

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Slamming his fist into the arm of his chair,

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Karch could not hold his anger and concern back
any longer.

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Pattis, you realize that the Harvest Guild has
guards that live in the Harvest

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District.

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They have guild members in the mines and in the
fields that could easily march down and wipe out
our

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forces. This is not about eliminating a problem in
the Lower Quarter or the

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Flats.

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Pattis had sat down, but he seemed unconcerned,
even

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casual, which made Karch angrier.

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Civil war, Pattis. I'm talking civil war.

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Pattis shrugged.

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We have the Knight and Craft Guilds on our side.

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With over half their members in the Wretched
Quarter, we can put them down easily.

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"Easily? Even if we do put down a rebellion from
the outer fields and the mines, you realize

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that people will die and that cleaning up this
mess will take years.

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The absolute best-case scenario is that Larsen
takes over the Harvest Guild by

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force, and his leadership of Ness will be under
constant threat from those that grow our

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food and mine our coal."

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"Honestly, Karch, I think the outlanders must have
scared you.

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Sure, this may get a bit bloody, but the end game
looks pretty clear to me, and we have all the
pieces in

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place."

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All the pieces in place. Karch didn't bother
pointing out that every piece

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south of the North Fork appeared to be out of
place.

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This is why you don't put blades in charge of
anything, Karch thought.

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With very few options, Karch decided to do his
best to minimize

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the damage from Larsen's disastrous plan.

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"Okay, Patiss, you have the pieces in place.

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Larsen asked me to take over the planning.

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What is happening now, and what do you have
planned next?"

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Patiss outlined that the guild guards and assorted
other guild members were

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already moving Harvest Guild members to the
Wretched Quarter.

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So far, it had gone well. Members of the Craft
Guild and the Knight Protectors had

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even stepped in to assist, although the bulk of
the work was being handled by the

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merchants. Thinking over the things that were
missed, Karch closed his

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eyes and thought over what needed to be done.

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When he opened them, Patiss was looking at him
expectantly.

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Good, Karch thought. He knows he needs me.

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"Okay, station the Tower guards at Trader's
Bridge. They are to defend it at all costs.

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If they are in fear of being overrun, they are to
destroy the bridge.

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Have a contingent of guards guarding the docks.

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If they see any boat larger than a skiff
approaching, they should burn it out of the water
with flaming

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arrows.

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I'll take care of everything else."

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Patiss frowned.

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"This is foolish, Karch.

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Who will defend the tower if we send the guards to
Trader's Bridge?"

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"If the Harvest Guild sends a force across the
bridge, defending the tower will

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be the least of our concerns."

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Patiss began to speak, but Karch raised a finger
and shouted with the force

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that intimidated nearly everyone in Ness.

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"Just do it. Larsen didn't send me down here to
debate you."

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Staring at Karch for a moment, Patiss nodded his
head slightly.

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"Fair enough.

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I understand the threat from the Harvest District,
but why am I doing these things?

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What will you be doing?"

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Karch stood up.

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"I need to talk to the Guildmaster knight.

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He will have to increase his forces at the Night
Watch, and he should have the rangers keep an eye
for any

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forces that move from the outer fields to the
Great Gate on the other side of the wall."

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"Would they do that?"

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Patiss' voice had changed from disdain to
respectful curiosity.

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"Doubtful, as it's very risky, but we should still
prepare for the possibility."

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Karch marched toward the door.

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"Thank you, Patiss. You did a good job with the
Flats and Lower Quarter."

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"Is there anything else I can help with?"

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Karch stopped and turned around.

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"Assassinating Polo?"

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"Impossible."

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"Finding Raylan and killing him?"

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"Also impossible."

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"Do you have anyone keeping tabs on Orion?"

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"Why would I do that?

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Larsen has him under his thumb."

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Karch spun around and continued to the door.

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"Of course, Patiss. There is no need to watch
Orion."

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But as he exited, Karch was filled with a deep
sense of dread.

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He could manage the docks and the bridges.

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He could make sure Saxe kept things manageable
outside the wall.

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He could make sure that the idiot Larsen and the
only slightly less idiotic

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Patiss didn't screw things up in the Flats and
Lower Quarter, but what he

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couldn't do was make sure that Orion didn't do
something stupid, or

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worse, something planned.

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(instrumental music plays)